Gold and the rising costs of e-waste recycling

Gold and the rising costs of e-waste recycling

A major reason the recycling of old electronics, i.e. e-waste recycling, has become such a large and rapidly growing industry is due to the amount of precious metals used in manufacturing electronics. As the commodities market skyrocketed over the past 6-7 years it attracted a lot of interest from the recycling and investment communities. Virtually everyone wants to be “green” and recycle. However, for many others the true “green” motivation is “cash”! And gold, in particular, continues to be a major factor in this market.

Gold and other precious metals such as copper, silver, and platinum are found in many types of electronic devices. They are found in computers, monitors, cell phones and many other gadgets. In fact, one metric ton of circuit boards can contain 40-800 times the amount of gold as one metric ton of raw gold ore*, which contains just five grams. This creates an inverse relationship between trending gold prices and the cost of recycling e-waste. In other words, when gold prices are high then the cost of recycling will decline and vice versa.

Beginning in late 2012 gold began its downward trend. It reached its peak at almost $1600 per ounce in August 2011 and has declined to roughly $1200 per ounce. This is a 25% loss in just 3 years and future projections indicate a continued decline. Many experts suggest gold’s value is dropping because of the stabilization of the global economy and the value of the U.S dollar, both of which show signs of strengthening in coming years. That’s great for the US economy, but it’s not so wonderful for consumers and businesses that need to recycle.

Another contributing factor to rising e-waste recycling costs is the fact that new computers and other electronic devices continue to decrease in size and weight. This poses a major challenge for recyclers and commodity-driven businesses that are focused on processing tons and tons of materials . Further, manufacturers are producing more equipment using smaller amounts of gold and precious metals. So, as time passes the e-recyclers will have to process significantly more equipment and materials to capture the same amount of gold per ton of recyclables than they are producing today.

Less weight, less gold and declining gold values will result in continued rising costs to recycle e-waste. It’s that simple.

What our clients are saying:

Lindsay Walkinshaw, Project Manager, Dartmouth College

Working with Castaway has been a seamless experience. The technicians were great about communicating arrival times and were very accommodating. Jay has been very prompt with responses and was able to schedule pick ups in a short timeframe. I appreciate their help.

- Lindsay Walkinshaw, Project Manager, Dartmouth College

Castaway Technologies | IT Asset Disposition

2019-04-02T16:20:53+00:00

- Lindsay Walkinshaw, Project Manager, Dartmouth College

Working with Castaway has been a seamless experience. The technicians were great about communicating arrival times and were very accommodating. Jay has been very prompt with responses and was able to schedule pick ups in a short timeframe. I appreciate their help.

Security Analyst, Technology Industry

We selected Castaway technologies to securely remove and dispose of all of our outdated IT equipment. They came by and quickly removed everything from our location. Their service was exceptional and exceeded our expectations! All we had to do is pick up the phone and they do the rest. I would recommend them to anyone who needed to decommission and retire any obsolete IT assets.

- Security Analyst, Technology Industry

Castaway Technologies | IT Asset Disposition

2019-02-26T20:28:00+00:00

- Security Analyst, Technology Industry

We selected Castaway technologies to securely remove and dispose of all of our outdated IT equipment. They came by and quickly removed everything from our location. Their service was exceptional and exceeded our expectations! All we had to do is pick up the phone and they do the rest. I would recommend them to anyone who needed to decommission and retire any obsolete IT assets.

Coordinator, Facility Operations, Software Industry

The staff at Castaway is very professional and knowledgeable. The Castaway Services Team has done a fantastic job of helping clear out old equipment for recycling. Castaway has been a great decision and I would recommend their service to anyone.

- Coordinator, Facility Operations, Software Industry

Castaway Technologies | IT Asset Disposition

2019-02-26T20:27:32+00:00

- Coordinator, Facility Operations, Software Industry

The staff at Castaway is very professional and knowledgeable. The Castaway Services Team has done a fantastic job of helping clear out old equipment for recycling. Castaway has been a great decision and I would recommend their service to anyone.

Tim Roach, Technology Manager

Castaway has been a delight to work with over the years. Their professionalism, attention to detail and reporting capabilities help manage our end of IT life cycle with the utmost confidence. I would highly recommend their services.

- Tim Roach, Technology Manager

Castaway Technologies | IT Asset Disposition

2019-02-26T20:22:41+00:00

- Tim Roach, Technology Manager

Castaway has been a delight to work with over the years. Their professionalism, attention to detail and reporting capabilities help manage our end of IT life cycle with the utmost confidence. I would highly recommend their services.

https://castawaytech.com/testimonials/tim-roach-technology-manager/

Molly Paradis, Scleroderma Foundation

Thank you so much Patrick, I have to say that your employees were kind, prompt and were very speedy. I was impressed at how willing you were to go above and beyond to help new clients and were always available to answer any questions that I had. If there is anything else that the Scleroderma Foundation needs I will surely keep you and Castaway Technologies in mind.

- Molly Paradis, Scleroderma Foundation

Castaway Technologies | IT Asset Disposition

2019-02-26T20:17:13+00:00

- Molly Paradis, Scleroderma Foundation

Thank you so much Patrick, I have to say that your employees were kind, prompt and were very speedy. I was impressed at how willing you were to go above and beyond to help new clients and were always available to answer any questions that I had. If there is anything else that the Scleroderma Foundation needs I will surely keep you and Castaway Technologies in mind.

IT Director, Technology Industry

Castaway is a very professional organization they arrive at the time they say they will be there. Their project team package the decommissioned equipment in a professional manner and clean up once they are done.

- IT Director, Technology Industry

Castaway Technologies | IT Asset Disposition

2019-02-26T20:26:20+00:00

- IT Director, Technology Industry

Castaway is a very professional organization they arrive at the time they say they will be there. Their project team package the decommissioned equipment in a professional manner and clean up once they are done.

Joanne Dunn, Metro Sign & Awning

It was a pleasure working with you. On the two occasions that we’ve used Castaway’s services for disposing of office equipment, we have been very pleased. Your team is professional, quick to reply and very efficient. I would highly recommend your business to anyone. Thank you!

- Joanne Dunn, Metro Sign & Awning

Castaway Technologies | IT Asset Disposition

2019-02-26T20:23:33+00:00

- Joanne Dunn, Metro Sign & Awning

It was a pleasure working with you. On the two occasions that we’ve used Castaway’s services for disposing of office equipment, we have been very pleased. Your team is professional, quick to reply and very efficient. I would highly recommend your business to anyone. Thank you!

https://castawaytech.com/testimonials/joanne-dunn-metro-sign-awning/

Lisa Hardwick – Stebbins Duffy Inc.

Your service employee that came here was incredibly nice, polite and efficient. Represented your company very well. It was a pleasure working with both of you!

-Lisa Hardwick - Stebbins Duffy Inc.

Castaway Technologies | IT Asset Disposition

2019-02-19T15:26:02+00:00

-Lisa Hardwick - Stebbins Duffy Inc.

Your service employee that came here was incredibly nice, polite and efficient. Represented your company very well. It was a pleasure working with both of you!

Systems Administrator, Construction Industry

I have called upon Castaway Technologies multiple times to securely recycle and shred our IT equipment, including computers/servers, hard-drives, printers, APC battery units, wiring, etc.. They are always on time, efficient and extremely quick to send back certified receipts confirming the secure process was completed, therefore keeping us in compliance.

- Systems Administrator, Construction Industry

Castaway Technologies | IT Asset Disposition

2019-02-26T20:25:47+00:00

- Systems Administrator, Construction Industry

I have called upon Castaway Technologies multiple times to securely recycle and shred our IT equipment, including computers/servers, hard-drives, printers, APC battery units, wiring, etc.. They are always on time, efficient and extremely quick to send back certified receipts confirming the secure process was completed, therefore keeping us in compliance.

A few words about us

Castaway Technologies helps companies safely and securely mitigate the risks involved with the turnover of old, data-bearing IT assets so they can focus on what really matters – running their business. Contact a Castaway ITAD specialist today to learn more.